In celebration of the holiday season, I am proposing a bit of a contest to my readers...
I would love to give a charitable donation in the name of my wonderful classes, but I am having trouble deciding on the charity. This is where you all come in - choose a charity, research it, and create a blog post that argues why readers should choose your charity (include a link to your charity in your blog post). As a class, we will read the arguments and vote on which charity will receive the donations. I will donate $1 for each argument offered (up to $50) and will ask for donations from the class to accompany my donation.
So, start arguing!
32 comments:
I posted a blog about my favorite charity organization last week so I think this could be pretty fun and easy for me. We should always try to give, specially when it is not asked of us. Are we going to be reading and voting this week or the next? By when should we have our arguments posted?
CAN IT BE ANIMALS?
I got it! I am so amazed that you are doing this, I am so excited right now. One of my very close friends mom actually has her own charity, don't know if you have read my 'This I believe' essay but I wrote about it. It is called Touch a Heart Foundation. On Monday I actually will not be in class because I will be taking part in a yearly event called spa day in which we raise thousands of dollars that later go to buying presents for various unpriviledged children. We also do a thing called 'adopt a family' which you might be interested in. We have hundreds of families that are below poverty level and have major financial issues. Some examples are a family with a 8 year old girl, she has ovarian cysts. Another family I think has 3 kids one has brain cancer. All these families have their money focused on bigger problems and so they most likely won't be spending them on presents. Living in Weston, we all are very fortunate and I know that none of us have spent a Christmas or Hannukah without presents. Therefore, I think we should all help out these people. I know my friends mom, Debbie Perlman, would be thrilled if I told her my class wants to help out. She is an amazing woman and dedicates most of her time to people that aren't as lucky as her.
I would really love it if I could tell her that we want to help, and it is such a great cause. These are the cutest kids ever, I know this because I delivered presents last year. They are so appreciative and the more money we raise the more kids we can bring a smile to on Christmas. What do you think? The website to her foundation is www.touchaheartfoundation.org
The holiday season brings joy to the homes of millions of kids and families all across our globe. Sadly, some kids don't get the opprutunity to enjoy the holidays to the fullest. Kids in Distress is an organization dedicated to helping abused and neglected children all across the world. Open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, the Kids in Distress organization is always their to help. This year Cypress Bay's DECA program has devoted one of its chapter projects to helping this organization. SMILE, Students Making an Impact on Little-Lives Everyday, is the campaign devoted to helping kids in distress. Currently, they have many activities to help raise money for these kids. Still they need all the help possible. My vote is for KIDS IN DISTRESS, yours should be too!
visit http://www.kidsindistress.org/
for more information!
My favorite charity is the Dicky V foundation. The organization started in 1993 to honor Jim Valvano. Jim was a great basketball coach who died from cancer. His family and friends started this organization so they can help research and to find a cure for cancer.
So my charity is extremely different compare to those who speak of sharing, giving and caring but I still feel it affects many people.
Nobody knows what the future holds but what we do know is that we live in an advanced, highly technical world where the skills and knowledge we acquire will need frequent updating. This leads to my charity "Carnegie institution for science" a charity created in 1895, by a man named Andrew Carnegie who contributed his vast fortune toward the establishment of 22 organizations that today bear his name and carry on work in such fields as art, education, international affairs, peace, and scientific research.
Today, Carnegie scientists continue to be at the forefront of scientific discovery. Working in six scientific departments on the East and West Coasts, Carnegie investigators are leaders in the fields of plant biology, developmental biology, earth and planetary sciences, astronomy, and global ecology. They seek answers to questions about the structure of the universe, the formation of our solar system and other planetary systems, the behavior and transformation of matter, the origin of life, the function of genes, and the development of organisms from single-celled egg to adult.
Accomplishments and Awards
For over one hundred years, Carnegie science has benefited humankind directly and indirectly in countless way.
•Edwin Hubble, who revolutionized astronomy with his discovery that the universe is expanding and that there are galaxies other than our own Milky Way;
•Charles Richter, who created the earthquake measurement scale;
•Barbara McClintock, who won the Nobel Prize for her early work on patterns of genetic inheritance;
•Alfred Hershey, who won the Nobel Prize for determining that DNA, not protein, harbors the genetic recipe for life;
Yet, these are only a few notable examples among many others, such as the following represented in recent news releases.
•Carnegie scientists Chris Field and Ken Caldeira of the Department of Global Ecology were key contributors in the UN panel sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for work on global climate change.
•In 2007 the American Geophysical Union awarded Carnegie's Ho-kwang(Dave) Mao the Inge Lehmann Medal for "outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure, composition, and dynamics of the Earth's mantle and core."
•Carnegie astronomer Mark Phillips shared the 2007 Cosmology Prize of the Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation for his role in discovering that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
•The National Academy of Sciences awarded Carnegie president emerita Maxine F. Singer the Public Welfare Medal in 2007, the academy’s most prestigious honor.
•The Lasker Foundation awarded Carnegie Department of Embryology’s Joseph G. Gall the prestigious 2006 Lasker Award for Special Achievement in Medical Science.
•Christopher Somerville, Director of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology, shared the 2006 Balzan Prize in Plant Molecular Genetics for work having “far reaching implications for plant science at both the fundamental level and in potential applications.”
Science is used in everyaspect of our life it seeks to explain the fundamentals of existence.
Go on this website to learn more about this charity which can help us change and help OUR future http://www.ciw.edu/about/mission
The charity I chose was one of the top 10 inefficient fundraisers according to charitynavigator.org. The South Florida Science Museum charity was my pick because its right in our backyard and its mission hit home with me. The museum's favorable location is in North West Palm Beach, Fl. If I was to drive from school to the museum, then it would take me about 70 minutes to reach my destination. Aside from the short trip, the museum's mission galvanized me because it piqued my ambitions of becoming a scientist. The mission statement is "Exciting curiosity and furthering the understanding and appreciation of science and technology." However, if you need a less parochial reason to donate to the charity, then let it be because the charity is one of the top 10 inefficient fundraisers, according to charitynavigator.com, their fundraising efficiency being a measly $1.580.
Learn why we should help build a new science center by visiting the website: http://www.sfsm.org/new_science_center.html
The contest is a great idea. It makes me feel good when I do something good for someone. Even if it's just a little something I believe that it is alwayts good to help those less fortunate. The charity that I think the money should go to is the Make a Wish Foundation. This charity helps childern with medical dieases get something they have always wanted. Whether it is to go to Waly Disney World or meet Brett Favre. I think it would be even better to grant a wish to one of these childern during the holidays. It will make it so much better for them.Helping another child is something that isn't always done. I feel like that helping any child is good.
http://www.michaeljfox.org/
I pretty much have "Back to the Future" tattoed to my butt. I've never met someone who didn't like atleast one of those movies. Michael J. Fox, the star of the movies, has also held lead rolls in several other movies, as well as television shows. Heck, you could probably even mistake him for the Coach on "Mighty Ducks" (Emilio Estevez), cause they practically look like twin brothers.
What a lot of people don't know about Michael J. Fox, though, is that he has Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a progressive disease that attacks the central nervous system, causing tremors (shakes), rigidity, and in severe cases, loss of movement. While it is not considered to be fatal, Parkinson's disease can lead to fatal accidents as well as illness.
Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's thought it is being studied heavily. Now, there are only treatments to relieve the symptoms. The Michael J. Fox foundation is dedicated to the funding of new research on treatments for Parkinson's; both improved treatments and new ones altogether. They are dedicated to finding a cure within a year.
This is a great foundation, looking to fund a great cause. Parkinson's disease goes beyond quality of life, and support, The Michael J. Fox Foundations plans to find a cure.
I also noticed Michael's comment on Kids in Distress. It's also a really great charity. My next door neighbor is highly active in it, and I have seen the pride and joy that comes from the great things that they are doing.
I really do like the charity Michael posted, http://www.kidsindistress.org/
Those kids in those countries have next to nothing. With some donations to them could provide some food, doctor visits, even just a simple toy.
As an activist for STAND, we are having a fundraiser that helps the refugee camps in Darfur. It is called "Tents of Hope. " Tents of Hope is a national community-based project that envisions a powerful union of artistic creativity and social concern in response to the crisis in Darfur. When I was in D.C., I took place in the gathering of the tents. It is an amazing fundraiser that allows you to be creative.
Here are actual photos from my camera :
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/kiaranicolephotos/FP-13.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/kiaranicolephotos/n678197588_1587143_1785.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/kiaranicolephotos/n678197588_1587142_762.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/kiaranicolephotos/n678197588_1587141_9708.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j137/kiaranicolephotos/n678197588_1587140_8613.jpg
My favorite charity is Kids in Distress. Last year I went with my cousin because she was an employee. I left there in tears. I heard stories of little three and four years olds being abused or raped and my heart just went out to those kids who are emotionally scared for life in their few short years of life. I met this young girl and she was about four years old. She had green eyes, freckles on her face, she was the cutest red head I've ever seen. I asked my cousin what happened to her and she replied by telling me they found her lying on the street homeless. They did a full body check up because they noticed some bruises. They discovered she had been raped, and abused but when I look at her, I see pure joy and happiness in her eyes. She even asked me about her mother and if I knew her, and she would continue on and on about her. "My mom always does my hairs in piggy tails," she'd say playing with her cherry red hair. I'd never forget her.
I am confident the Kids in Distress foundation should win the contest. The employees do a wonderful job and they make the kids feel happy and safe. I vote for the Kids in Distress.
To me, every charity out there is worthy of our small but giving donation but I have a special one that directly relates to something I would like to join in the future. City of Hope National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute is what today provides help to millions of people who are battling life-threatning diseases. Here, in this wonderful place, physicians, researchers, scientists and health care professionals join forces to treat at hopefully one day find a cure for cancer and other dreadful diseases. Most of the patients that they care for have HIV/AIDS, breast cancer or diabetes. Someday I would like to be a doctor and take part of such a beautiful cause like "City of Hope" is. There is people out there who need as much help as they could get, so why sit around like a lazy bum when you could get active with you community/nation and support everyone who goes through such horrible times like possessing one of these terrible dieases.Here is the websites link. http://www.cityofhope.org/Pages/default.aspx
In my opinion, Michael is right. Holidays bring much joy to people all over the world, but some people who are not as fortunate as some of us are do not get to live the holiday to the fullest. The charity Kids in Distress really reaches out to help those children who do not have the opportunities we have. Here is the link to check it out. We all can help to make a difference if we work at it and by starting to donate to this charity is a great step in helping those who are less fortunate. Here is the website
http://www.kidsindistress.org/
A charity that I really admire and have donated to previously is called His House. This charity gives shelter to hundreds of kids who have parents who have either abused or neglected them, or have serious drug problems.The children live in a very comfortable setting, with individual rooms and a loving and nurturing environment. This is an excellent charity worthy of donation because these parents have ruined their lives, and although they have the right to do what they choose with their life, it doesn't seem fair that their children should have to suffer. These children are treatly as if they are in individual families and they need some love and affection and presents this holiday season. I think these kids would feel even better about their home-like setting if they were priveledged enough to get gifts and our small contribution could definitely make a difference.
To learn more about His House Children's Home, visit the official website :http://www.hhch.org/
The charitable organization I pick to give the donation to is Boys and Girls Clubs of America. This charity is similar to Kids in Distress, but the kids in it are completely different. The GBCA's mission is to help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizen. I have seen commercials for this organization and they are usually located in poor areas, where the young people have nothing. This money goes right to helping them and they need it desperately, just so they can survive. If these young people weren't put into the organization then they would have nothing and end up being nothing. By giving them this opportunity, this makes the kids thankful and desires to reach their potential too. We should at least give them something for the holidays, so it can be special for them. Just knowing that we are contributing to them would feel so good deep down, because we made their holiday complete. These young people are our future and at least giving them the opportunity could turn out the best for us later on down the line.
http://www.bgca.org/
When all else fails, the ability to read provides the backbone of all things possible. The Literacy Site (http://www.thehungersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=6&link=ctg_lit_home_from_ggc_home_sitenav)
connects readers to a charity that donates books to children who are deprived of them. The concept is a great one since it promotes the idea that everyone should be able to read, regardless of age. The fact that the deprivation and decline of literacy has become so problematic to the point where a charitable organization finds it necessary to request book donations makes it an excellent charity.
As a teenager my mom helped out i an organization know as kids in distress. http://www.kidsindistress.org/
I've visited their local site and i was appalled by the amount of children that are helped at this site. Most of the children they are abused children. Some have cigarette burns on their arms, others have broken bones and bruises.
This organization raises tons of omney to help these kids. During the hilliday season i believe, is the most important time to give to charity. This fund is possibly the most beneficial when it comes to doing a good deed. No cause could be greater than helping abused children that have (I'm sure in the most dramatic fashion) have been removed from their families and have no place to go.
So i beg you like the lady on those puppy commercials, please. Please donate to kids in distress.
My grandmother is one of the people in charge of a non profit childcare center in Colombia. They feed, and teach children from 2 to 4 years old whose parent's have very little or no money to take care of them. Every month, each parent pays as much as they can (which the most will be about $2). Therefore, Asociacion San Mateo asks for donations from everywhere, specially Germany mainly because the founding women are German. My sister started helping out last year selling bracelets and 100% of the profit went to the association. These are kids who have so little money, the only meals they get are the ones at the day care. Because of the kind hearts my grandmother and the other women have, they have also reached out to kids up to age 10 to eat lunch at the day care, thus the money needed to feed them increases. I know everything about this association and have direct, anytime, contact with it, therefore I believe this is the perfect choice for donations. The class will receive a certificate and a thank you letter from the association for the kind, altruistic deed we'd do.
Things that we take for granted, is cherished and scoured for in the streets, where thousands of kids are homeless. But, a house isn't the only thing they don't have. Along with a comfy bed, blankets, and a nice living room to come home to, they also don't have food, showers, love, or any support from others. This is where Covenant House intervenes. Feeling the desperation for help, this organization strives to remind young people their place in the world. That they aren't supposed to be lonely, or without the comforts of a real home. These people have been given up on. Their parents have turned their backs on them, the ones who provided a smile on their faces since they day they were born. Imagine your parents, or family not loving you enough to stay and support you. Where would you turn to in the cold streets? Where would you sleep? Next to the dumpster? How would you sleep when you are trying to avoid the dangers of the outdoors? What will you eat? One choice could be at Covenant House. But, this would never be possible if it wasn't for donations. So, even if you know you won't be out in the streets anytime soon, you know that there are others who are placed in this situation. You now know that thousands are suffering, and sleeping or eating scraps. You know all this, and you are thankful that you don't have to deal with these obstacles. So, do something that will help others, the way you want to be helped.
The Covenant House do not only provide the necessities of shelter food, and immediate crisis care. They really care for those without love and a home. They want these people to be the best that they could be, so they also have programs such as drug abuse and treatment and prevention programs, mother/child, transitional living, educational and vocational programs. They also include legal services, medicare, and a live-skills training and street outreach program. It's these extras that make this organization special, because you really see how much they care about these kids. It is a chance for these homeless kids to redeem their selves, and erase those mistakes and realize that they need embrace what they have, in order to move on in life.
When it comes to charities you can pretty much find one for just about anything, but to be honest most charities I hear about just relieve the problem when in truth spending money to relieve a problem is a waste when you can use that exact same cash to end the problem. For example if children are starving and have no food are you going to spend money to bring them food or are you going to spend money to make them farms so they can continue to have food. Which is why I chose PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health). PATH was established in 1977 and is an international organization helping over 65 countries bring up there health standards through the application of technology which is not only helping the populations health but in turn bringing up these countries to more modern standards. As much as it would sound nice to send medicine and supplies to these countries through another charity, it’s the impact that needs to be thought about. PATH may not provide instant results like charities sending medicine but in the end PATH will save more lives and continue to save more lives with out the constant money flow for medicine and other items.” To give to someone is worthless if you do not bestow the power and education on that someone to give to themselves"
My favorite charity/foundation is the Make a Wish foundation. It really tears me apart to know that there is an immense amount of children who are dying because of diseases, and even thought EVERYONE can help them, most of the people don't even take the time to think of these children. That's why i joined the Make a Wish foundation and did research on this amazing charity.
ABOUT MAKE A WISH:
Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation's mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors, and entire communities.
The Make a Wish foundation now grants a wish every 40 minutes.
By donating money, or just being a volunteer, you can help make a child's wish come true.
"Make-A-Wish makes a huge difference in kids’ lives. When there isn’t a cure, there is still something positive in their lives to look forward to."
— Joanne, Primary Children’s Medical Center Social Worker
I think this is the best idea yet. I always try to find ways to help kids who need help the most because I know what it feels like when you're in need and no one is there for you. The charity I would most likely like to donate to is Kids in Distress. This charity focuses on helpig kids who have been abused or neglected in the past. To me seeing a sad kid just kills me and whether you believe it or not every bit counts for each and everyone of those kids. In the past I have made small donations to this charity before because I'm glad there are people out there who want to help the kids that got something they never deserved. Helping out a kid is the best feeling in the world especially when they are not use to all the attention. This for me would be like a walk on the park.I just love to help out!:D
With today's economy families are struggling to pay for shelter or even food. The people in other communities aren't all as fortunate as those of us in Weston. Its only right that we try and help out others especially around the holiday season, and why not start by helping out here in Florida. The charity i think you should donate to is Adopt-A-Family charity of Palm Beach. The donations go to help homeless children and families, low income families, and families who are at risk of becoming homeless. Heres a link to their site http://www.adoptafamilypbc.org/
“Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) is the U.S. Section of Amnesty International. Founded in London in 1961, Amnesty International (AI) is a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. In pursuit of this vision, AI's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.”
This is the charity’s misión. For more information, visit www.amnestyusa.org.
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/foodnotbombsFINALMIX.mov
http://www.foodnotbombs.net/dollar_for_peace.html
Healthy vegetarian meals for the unfortunate, it's beyond self-explanatory.
Most of Stoklosa's student's live in Weston - including myself - and in retrospect, I've never seen someone begging for food here. But there is a Food Not Bombs chapter in Ft. Lauderdale and in Miami where it is not strange to find a repented ex-war-hero going through the thrash can in front of a Subway to eat what you didn't want from your necessary foot-long sandwich and 32oz soda.
Food Not Bombs is the simplest form of charity; the fortunate (you and I) buy lunch and bond with people who are less fortunate. More than buying a meal, the experience of meeting people who have had life served on a plate of trifling leftovers is life changing and it makes us appreciate the commodities that make our life easier much more.
I know it sounds like an event which leaves you depressed and with feelings of disgust towards yourself because of how spoiled you are, but in reality it is fun to meet these interesting people; I can't think of a time that I have been at a Food Not Bombs chapter and not left with sore abs from excessive laughter, so from that point of view, it is a great work-out as well.
With the holidays coming up, I believe that we should distrubute to the Make a Wish foundation to give something to the children. They deserve to have happy holidays. I have actually done some volunteer work for the Make a Wish foundation and I must say that helping others fulfills me in a way that is unexplainable.
The link is
www.wish.org
:)
There are an overwhelming amount of charities out there with amazing causes, but there is one that stands out in my mind. The Dear Jack's foundation is dedicated to raising money and awareness for blood cancer research. Having gone through leukemia himself back in 2005, Andrew McMahon (of the band Jack’s Mannequin) formed this foundation in 2006. Being a musician, one of the things that was able to allow McMahon the strength to recuperate from his treatment was his music. He continued to play shows and gain the support of his fans, who now support him through his foundation. The Dear Jack’s Foundation’s primary beneficiaries are the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The foundation dedicated much time and effort to being part of the Light the Night walk, in which the Jack’s Mannequin team raised $100,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This foundation is personal- participants have the option of joining in walks instead if they feel like they want to do more than just send a check, and McMahon personally speaks out to the participants through video, thanking them for their support. It’s great to know that someone like Andrew McMahon is in charge of this great organization because it is obvious he is passionate about the cause, having personal experience. His devotion to raising as much money as possible is evident, and his popularity among the younger population (fans of his music) works to the foundation’s advantage because of their dedication to being a part of something they believe in. Go to http://www.dearjackfoundation.com/ to learn more.
Well Miss, I am very angry because I spent a good 10 minutes typing up an argument for a charity I forgot was a little controversial, so I had to erase it all and forget about it. So I have decided to take up somebody else's cause and I chose Joe's! You have repeated to us many times how our education system is faltering in comparison to education systems in Europe and Asia.
One of the best ways of sparking interest in science is by having a child visit a museum. I am especially attracted to a career in the sciences because when I was a kid, a trip to the museum was the ultimate experience for me. I was in such awe the first time I visited the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Discovery and Science. I had never been the least bit interested in science until this day, and from then on I knew what I wanted to be when I was older, a scientist.
This charity would really hit home for me because museums where a huge part of my childhood and I know they changed me for the better. I really would love for other children to have the same experiences I did, the experiences of discovery, inspiration, and awe. By contributing to this ailing charity for a museum we are contributing to our children's imaginations being invigorated and their interest in education inflated.
The American Red Cross helps people around the world to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters, complex humanitarian emergencies, and life-threatening health conditions. They provide international services that focus on primary health care, emergency response and preparedness, restoring family links, and the dissemination of international humanitarian law. For each of these priority areas, the Red Cross promotes cost-effective, community-based programs, which targets large numbers of people with humanitarian aid that is rapid, effective, and large-scale.
I believe the Save The Children charity is the one to be supported. We should support this charity, because it strives to help the underprivileged children of the world. If we are to not consider children as precious, then what can we consider? Children should dearly be supported by the endearing world, not ripped apart by it. It is this emotional and humble reasoning that this charity makes much sense indeed.
If we are to help the world, let it first be children, they are our future. If we cannot save the children of the world, how can we possibly see a possible future for our little blue planet?
Post a Comment